PayPal is among the world’s financial service providers for online payment transactions. It is a globally recognized and accepted means to send and receive money, pay bills and shop online through different eCommerce stores.

PayPal is an online payment platform that makes it simple to receive and send funds online.

With PayPal, customers can receive money, send invoices to clients, transfer money, withdraw funds, and many more.

PayPal is also supported in Nigeria, and this article will explain how to send and receive money with PayPal in Nigeria.

Though based in the U.S, PayPal is available in up to 200 countries around the world.

In the past, there was a prohibition on Nigerians to open an account with PayPal and also to receive and send funds.

 

However, in 2014, that law was lifted, and Nigerians were granted access to operate a personal account. But the account can only send funds with no possibility of receiving money.

In 2018, a PayPal business account was available to Nigerians to register. Via the PayPal business account, Nigerians could now receive money but with specific conditions.

The account can only be accessed by entrepreneurs, businesses, and freelancers who operate online.

The PayPal business account permits Nigerians to receive payments via their websites. And also create invoices, request payment from clients, and more.

 

Types Of PayPal Accounts And Their Requirements

 

There are two types of PayPal accounts accessible by Nigerians.

1. Personal account:

The personal account is available for people who want to use PayPal to send money or pay for anything online only.

If you also fancy shopping on websites online that supports PayPal, then the personal account is the right choice for you.

 

The Requirement to Open a PayPal Personal Account in Nigeria

Below are the requirements to create a PayPal personal account in Nigeria:

Your legal name is required. The same name on your birth certificate and other documents.

• Your valid email address
• A strong password
• A credit or debit card. Though only Mastercard and Visa are accepted. You can not use Verve.
• Your address will also be required.

 

2. Business account:

The business account is meant for businesses that want to receive money from customers or clients online.

The business account provides businesses with features to include payment options to their sites and receive money.

Some other features and options are beneficial to businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.

 

The Requirement to Open a PayPal Business Account in Nigeria

Below are the requirements to create a PayPal business account in Nigeria:

• Your legal name (compulsory)
• The name of your business. Except you’re a freelancer, you should have a registered business name to create a business account.
• Essential information about your business is also required.
• A Government-issued identification card, preferably an international passport.
• A valid email address
• And your phone number

 

Ensure you only give accurate and truthful information, or else you will lose your account regardless of the amount of money you have in it.

 

How to Open a PayPal Account in Nigeria

Follow this process to open a PayPal account in Nigeria:

1. Select the type of account you want:

As discussed earlier, you can open two types of PayPal accounts: personal or business accounts. Choose the one you need at the moment.

 

2. Head to the Paypal website:

Now you will visit the PayPal website to set up your account. You can head to the personal account creation page for a personal account. And for business accounts, head to the business account creation page.

 

3. Fill out the account opening form:

Completely and accurately fill the account opening form with all the necessary information. You should ensure all your data is correct to avoid losing your account.

 

4. Confirm your email address:

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided. This is normal, especially when opening accounts online. Log in to your email and confirm.

 

5. Manage your account:

At this stage, your account is active! You can now begin using the account. You can add new cards to your account, change your password, and many more.

 

How to Send Money with PayPal in Nigeria

Follow this process to send money with PayPal in Nigeria:

 

1. Sign in to your account

To send money through PayPal, you need to log into your account.

 

2. Click on Send payment option

You will notice the “send payment” button; click on it.

 

3. Input the details of the recipient

Input the name or email of the recipient.

 

4. Input the amount and payment method

Input the amount you wish to send. If you have added many card options to your account, pick the one you want to pay with.

 

5. Send payment

Once you’re done, click on send.

 

6. Pay with invoice

You can request an invoice from the person you’re sending the money to. The invoice will be shown on your account; click on it and send payment.

 

7. Use pre-approved payment:

If you have an active payment (like Facebook ads, subscription to themes, and so on) that you need to make, you can create a pre-approved payment.

This will enable you to make payments automatically without needing to do it manually, even when you’re not available.

 

How to Receive Money with Paypal in Nigeria

Follow this procedure to receive money with PayPal in Nigeria:

 

1. Set up a PayPal business account

Unluckily, you can’t receive money with your PayPal personal account. Only businesses are permitted to receive payment.

 

2. Create payment on your website

The instructions on setting this up on your website are available in your account. Click on tools and follow the instructions. Set this option up and start receiving payments from your clients or customers.

 

3. Send invoice

With your PayPal business account, you may also be able to send invoices to customers.

 

4. Request for money

You can also use the account to request money from clients or customers.

 

5. Use your PayPal email

You can as well use your PayPal email to receive funds.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. What if I don’t live in Nigeria? Can I send and receive money with a PayPal personal account?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Nigeria is not the only country restricted from using PayPal personal accounts to receive payments.

Other countries can’t even access PayPal at all. Ghana is an example.

So if you reside in a country that is restricted, you may still not have access to receiving funds with your personal account.

But, if you reside in a country on PayPal’s approved list to receive money, you can create a PayPal personal account in that country, and you will have access to send and receive money.

You can find available a list of countries and their PayPal status here.

 

2. What makes PayPal important?

PayPal is essential because:

• There is security for your credit card. After you register your card with PayPal, that’s all. You don’t need to re-enter it into any other website you want to purchase something from.
• It is supported in about 200 countries.
• PayPal is a trusted brand globally.
• It also has financial security. If you buy an item with PayPal and the product is not what you expected or got cheated by the seller, you can request your money with PayPal’s buyer protection.
• With PayPal, you can expect ease of payment. You can add as many cards to your account as you wish for ease of payment.
• You get access to discounts regularly from big businesses worldwide.
• Another fantastic benefit is that it is free to use.

 

3. Can I receive dollars in my Nigeria PayPal account?

 

Nigeria doesn’t support the PayPal personal account to receive money. The only way to receive money from clients or customers is via the PayPal business account. You can also shop online and make payments with a PayPal business account.

 

4. Which Nigerian banks work with PayPal?

List of banks that can be associated with PayPal in Nigeria:

• GTCO (formerly called GTBank) Naira Mastercard. However, it stopped working sometime in 2020.
• First Bank
• UBA
• Access Bank VISA card – confirmed as of August 2021 to still be working
• Diamond Bank
• FCMB
• WEMA Bank

 

Conclusion

PayPal is an excellent service, though with some restrictions in Nigeria. Hopefully, these restrictions will be lifted someday. However, it would be best if you never tried any unsupported ways to break PayPal’s policies.

 

Originally posted 2022-02-06 21:23:54.